Fireline Corporation

Fireline Corporation

Fireline Corporation has been providing fire protection services to commercial
clients since 1947. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, the company's 100 technicians
each spend at least eight hours a day on the road servicing clients and responding
to emergencies.

Among the company's chief concerns is their technicians' driving habits. Not only
are they Fireline's most visible ambassadors, making their behavior a reflection on
the company, but their choices - from speeding, to hard steering or braking to
extensive idling times - can cost money in terms of increased maintenance, repair
and fuel expenses. The company turned to TomTom Telematics for a fleet
management system that would provide better visibility.

Fireline chose the LINK 300 for its fleet of 100 service vehicles. ‘Right away the ease of use and more accurate picture of what was happening with our vehicles began paying off,’ according to Gibb. ‘All of our vehicles are marked with an 800 number, so other motorists can report trucks that aren't being driven safely. We used to get at least three of those calls a month. Since deploying the TomTom solution in the fall of 2011, we haven't gotten any.’

With greater visibility into where and how vehicles are being driven, Fireline can proactively approach technicians about their driving habits, and take action before things become problematic. Gibb and his team regularly speak with drivers and work with them to put safety first. He explains, ‘We're now seeing real compliance with our 'one negative driving event per day' standard and are pleased with the positive reaction from our drivers.’ In addition, the company has significantly reduced idling time in the vehicles, which costs money in used fuel. TomTom's system has allowed management to measure time spent with the motor running and proactively address it with drivers, resulting in idling times of less than 30 minutes per vehicle per day across the board.

Overall, according to Gibb, ‘Working with TomTom has resulted in far more visibility into our fleet, which allows us to better manage an important asset for the company. We're seeing a lot less of the behaviors that can translate into higher costs, and improving safety standards for our drivers. And we always know where they are, which has come in handy on a few occasions where we were able to get help on the way in a hurry.’